Ex-deputy Says Woman He's Suing Lent Him $500

A former Orange County deputy sheriff whose arrest of a minister is under investigation by a grand jury said Thursday that he accepted a $500 loan from a former member of the pastor's congregation.

Ray Porter, fired last week for tampering with drugs in another case, said it was the only time he took money from Barbara Hasty of Orlando.

He said the loan was to help him buy Christmas presents.

In a slander suit filed Wednesday, Porter accused Hasty of telling police she paid him $15,000 to discredit the Rev. Thomas Curry of the Ambassadors For Christ Church, Orlando. Hasty would not comment.

Sources close to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation of Curry's arrest in December say the agency is looking into allegations that Porter was paid $15,000 to set up the minister on cocaine possession charges. Another deputy sheriff said Thursday that she saw Hasty give Porter the $500 and heard the two say it was a loan.

An Orange County grand jury heard five hours of testimony in the case Thursday but wrapped up this month's work without returning any indictments.

Six witnesses were called, including Curry, Hasty and her husband, Hubert. The latter three each testified at least 1 1/2 hours.

The Hastys would not comment on their testimony or on the investigation.

Porter has denied accepting a bribe or planting drugs. He was asked to testify before the grand jury but said he declined on the advice of his attorney, Hal Uhrig.

Stephen Maroney, head of the FDLE's Orlando office, and Assistant Orange-Osceola State Attorney Fred Lauten would not comment on their investigations.

Thursday was the first time Porter acknowledged taking money from Hasty. He said Deputy Wanda Howell and a friend of Howell's witnessed the loan.

Howell, who was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury but did not testify Thursday, said she saw Hasty give Porter $500 at a restaurant near Curry's church at Bumby Avenue and Michigan Street. She said the two told her that the money was a loan.

Porter said he got to know the Hastys through the restaurant. He said that several days after Curry's arrest on Dec. 8, he and Hasty were eating there when he mentioned that he was on his way to the bank to borrow $500 for Christmas shopping.

Porter said Hasty told him that she ''wouldn't hear'' of Porter borrowing money from the bank, and that she took $500 from her purse to lend him. Then Howell and her friend walked in. Porter said he called the two over to witness the loan so there would be no question about it.

Porter said he has not repaid the loan but has offered to.

''That was the only time I ever took any money from her,'' Porter said. ''She was a friend. It was a lot of money but it wasn't that unusual.''

Howell, 47, said she had been asked by FDLE agents about the transaction. She confirmed Porter's version of events.

Porter, 36, a deputy for 15 years, was fired last week by Sheriff Lawson Lamar after Porter admitted in a department internal investigation that he tampered with drug evidence during the arrest of two Apopka men. According to a sheriff's report, Porter lied about the incident, then admitted it after failing a lie detector test.

Porter is appealing the firing to a department review board. A hearing is scheduled Monday.

Porter arrested Curry in the parking lot of his fundamentalist church. The arrest report shows Porter found 15 grams of cocaine in a plastic bag under the driver's seat of Curry's car.

Porter wrote that he went to the church after receiving a call from a woman who identified herself as Theresa, who claimed Curry would have drugs.

Howell also said she has been asked about telephone conversations she knew about between Porter and Theresa but she would not elaborate.

Curry would not comment on his grand jury testimony, but he said he ''knew from day one that I was never guilty.

''I knew the drugs came from someone,'' he said after testifying. ''But I wasn't sure where. For four months, I really went through it, not knowing where to turn. Then this started to break.''

Curry, 47, an ordained Baptist minister, said his reputation has suffered but attendance by his 100-member congregation is better than ever.

Hasty attended Curry's church for several years, according to court records of her divorce suit against Hubert, 61. The suit was filed in April 1985.

According to those records, Hasty was giving about $4,300 a month to Ambassadors For Christ from a net income of $6,400 that she received from family trust funds.

Orange County land records show Hasty deeded a Maitland house she once lived in to the church in 1983.

Sources close to the investigation said Hubert Hasty was upset about his wife's involvement with the church and had persuaded her to try to get her house back.

Curry's trial, which has been postponed several times, is scheduled for next month.